Sociology of the book (s) (2008/2009)

Learning outcomes

The sociology of the book aims at analysing the relationship between collective representations and written culture. This relationship is clearly at the origin of the progresses which gives birth to the cultural system of the society.

Contents of the course:
At first we will analyse the concept of social change in its theoretical lines, in order to tackle the change that a society continually creates through the writing and therefore through the book. It will thus be important to understand writing as a particular process of social differentiation with completely different features from the culture which is rooted in the verbal communication. We will then try to relate the difference between writing and verbal tradition inside the sociological categories of interior structure and social structure which are the dual source of the social action (which will be analysed through the contribution of the English sociologist Margaret Archer).

Books:
Archer M., Essere umani. Il problema dell’agire, Marietti 1820, Genova-Milano 2007.
Durkheim E., Rappresentazioni individuali e rappresentazioni collettive, in Id., Sociologia e Filosofia, Ed. Comuità, Milano 1996.

Reading advised: Tedeschi E., Sociologia e scrittura, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2005; Chartier C., La rappresentazione del sociale. Teoria e pratica della storia culturale, Bollati Boringhieri, Torino 1989.

Oral or written test (open questions).